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Wild Moon Cottage is a small working homestead in the pristine Ozark Mountains. We have dairy goats, poultry, organic herb and vegetable gardens, a start of a tiny fruit orchard, several black walnut trees, wild berries and fields of wildcrafting goodness. We raise our own milk, our own eggs, much of our own medicine and food. I do laundry by hand, make my own vinegar, candles, soap, bread, cheese ........ For a living I am an artist and herbalist.
My goal for myself and our homestead is to be as self sufficient and self sustaining as possible.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

9.3.08 Rain :)

I woke thinking of a dear friend who is hurting. Many jujus and much healing, Brother.

We woke to a gentle, cleansing rain this morning. The windows are open and the Burrow is filled with spirits and comfort but, at the same time, excitement and anticipation. The rain also brings newness and fresh starts.

Last night there was a skunk in the yard near the forest line but close enough that it's aroma reached the house and we had to shut everything so we could breath :) I hope it's OK, no dogs have been roaming and cats don't generally bother skunks so I don't know why it would have sprayed.

Also yesterday we found the first egg from the new hens !!! A tiny pale beige egg on the floor. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a duck egg, duck eggs are usually much larger, even from young ducks and I think Runners lay very white eggs. Whoever laid it, it was a glorious find :) we fed it back to the chicks with the hope that soon we'll have plenty of eggs to eat and sell again !

I did make a slightly unfortunate discovery yesterday, 1 for sure and maybe 2 of the Aracauna chicks have sickle feathers. I think only roosters get sickle feathers and I have no place to keep a rooster yet. I do plan on keeping one when I can keep him in a nice place away from the hens unless we want chicks. And I do plan on it being an Aracauna rooster. I was hoping he could live in the enclosed garden and greenhouse (which haven't been built and won't be for a while now). Both of the ones with sickle feathers are so beautiful, the only two that color. They're black and white but with much more white then the Barred Rocks. We'll see, maybe I can figure something out.

I have poison ivy on my chest, again :( those blasted kittens swim thru it and then I pick them up and carry them around and get poison ivy on me a few times a year. The cat run will help that for sure and so will some little ivy eating goats !

The drawback of this time of year is that I always panic a bit thinking of how much needs to be done before winter. But, I don't completely agree with Jo that is the true simple life that we not work to hard to enjoy the fruits :)

The steady gentle rain outside lulls me as I write and drink my iced coffee :) Because of the blessed rain, I don't have much planned to do today. Some regular chores of course and then maybe some beading or painting or reading. I'm getting the second half of Cranford from Netflix soon, maybe it will come today :)

If the rain isn't to bad we may run to the market later to get a few things. We haven't been able to shop in weeks because of a financial thing but things are much better and I'm in need of butter to make cookies :) and I'm quite sure Nik is in need of some rootbeer or cream soda.

1 comment:

those financial monsters have a way of playing havoc with us, also. It's always a pinch but then there's those chunks that get bitten out. Those can get us down if we're not careful. ((Hugs)) keep your head above water and know there are people who understand.